Device for changing the angle of blades of propellers.



PATLNTLD JULY 21, 190s.A G. L. MGGALLUM. DEVICE PON CHANGING THE ANGLE 0F BLADES 0F PRo-PLLLBNS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 23, 1902. i

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No. 734,468. PATENT'ED JULY-21, 190.3. G. L. MUGALLUM.

DEVICE EUR CHANGING THEy ANGLE OF BLADES 0E PROPELLERS. APPLIGATION 'FILED SEPT. 23,1902.

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No. 734,468. 'PATENTBD JULY 21, 19o-3; f G. L.M0UALLUM DEVICE PoR CHANGING THB ANGLE', 0F BLADES 0F PRO'PBLLERS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 23, 1902.

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l mmm No. 734,468. EATENTED JULY 21, 1903.

Y G. L. MUGALLM. DEVICE EOE CHANGING TEE ANGLE'OE BLADES 0E PEoPELLEEs.

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UNITED STArEs.

PATENT OFFICE;

GEORGE L. MooALLU-M, ofE NEWERF, PENnsYLvANIA."

SPECIFICATION forming part ffLettfs; Patent No. 734,468, dated kJuly 21,- 1903.

Appiioaionneaseprembei2s,1902. senin 110.124.510. (No atan.)

To @ZZ whom t may concern:

Beit known that I, GEORGE L. MCCALLU'M, a citizen of the United States,residing at Newerf, in the county of McKean and .State of Pennsylxgania, rhave inyented new and useful Improvements in Devices for Changing th e Angle of.. the Blades of a Propeller for ReversingtheDirection of the Vessel, offwhich vessel from forward to a backward movement` without reversing the engine, or vice versa.

Another object of my invention is torpro;l

vide a device in which the blades of the mech' anism for operating said blades is locked inthe .desired position and said locking mechanism operated by the blades-operating mechanism.

A further object of my invention is to pro -vide a device of this character which will more eifectivel y accomplish the above results and one ,which` isY more simple and cheap in its construction. Y

In theaccompanying drawings, Figure lis a longitudinalsectional.view. Fig. 2 isla transverse sectional view taken on'L line a; cc, Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional View taken on line y y, Fig. l. Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional .view-taken on lineze, Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view 0f the propeller. Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional view of the propeller. Fig. 7 is a sectional view showing theblades in the reverse position toFig. 5.rk Fig. 8 is a side view of the propeller. Fig. 9 is an enlarged sectional view of the pistons removed. Fig. l0 is an enlarged sectional View ofthe packingrings, showing the means of connecting the steamsupply pipe. Fig. 1l is a plan view of my device, showing the steam supply and eX- haust pipe and valves and the mechanism operating the same.

Referring now to the drawingsA represents a cylinder-,which is preferably of an elongated form and is provided throughout its entire length with the central bore A., and at its ein treme outer ends, the said bore is slightly en; larged at a for the reception of apacking d', which will be hereinafter more fully deL scribed, the endsofsaid cylinder being provided with outwardlyextending annular liangesB andB.- .The forward flange B is bolted to adisk-shaped member C,which is providedwith an outwardly-extending elongated cylindrical member C', which is mounted in 'a bearing carried by the vessel andj by means of which the whole cylinderis adapted to revolve. Secured to the outer end of said member isa crank C2,which is adapted to rotate said member, and said crank is connected t-o the engine in any desired manuergasI this forms no part of my invention, The said disk-shaped mem-ber C is'provided with a reduced recess c, which isadaptedjto receive tthe piston-rod carried by the piston, as will be hereinafter more` fully described, and surrounding said outer end of said` recess is an enlarged packing-receivingopening C3, which is adapted to receive a portion ofthe packing ct', and thus completely and effectively close the end of the cylinder. The opposite end of the cylinder is closed in precisely the same manner, and the cylindricalmember D isalso mounted in bearings like that atthe opposite end, and thus it will be readily seen that the whole cylinder and working mechanism, carried thereby aremountedinahorizont-al lposition and adapted to revolve.

Centrally located within the cylinder is a piston E, which is provided with two longitudinally-extending openings c and e', through f which pass the bolts F and F. Carried by the opposite ends of said bolts and rigidly secured thereto by means of screw-threads carried by the bolts are two pistens Geand G', located adjacent opposite ends of the cylinder andadapted lo freely slidetherein, while the bolts carried thereby pass looselythrough the central piston,.an d `it,.ie1nainsL inits stationary position. The ends of the'pistons G and Gr` carry packing g and g', which is to insure a perfectly air-tight cylinder.

Passing through the entire length of thev cylinder and through all three of the pistons Ioo is a piston-rod H, which is rigidly connected y to the two outer pistons G and Gin any desired manner, and the forward end of said piston-rod H extends through the packing ct and out into the recess c, carried by the cylindrical member C', and is adapted to freely reciprocate therein, the purpose of which is to allow it to move back and forth, yet it is at all times within said member for the'purpose of strengthening the device. The rear end of said piston-rod H extends through the rear end of the cylinder member D and out through the outer` end, the purpose of which I will now proceed to describe.

The cylindrical member D carries an enlarged portion I, which is provided with a socket D', and fitting within said socket is the propeller-carrying member D2. Said member is held in said socket by bolts d and keys cl2, and thus it is removably held therein. The shaft H passes all the way through this member, and the outer end of said member D2 is provided with any desired number of dat surfaces l', and carried by each surface is an outwardly-extending rounded stud i, which is provided at its outer end with a circumferential groove t, and rotatably mounted upon each stnd is a blade .1, which is constructed like the ordinary propeller-blade, and passing through said blades and resting within the grooves vl are screw-threaded bolts j, which firmly lock the blades on the studs, yet they are not held against rotation. The said fiat surface is provided with a cutaway portion 12, the purpose of which I will now proceed to describe. The outer end of the piston-rod H passes through the enlarged portion I and extends considerably beyond, and rigidly secured to the outer end h thereof is a block K, which is provided with the same number of Hat surfaces as `the portions k, and resting within the said recesses lc and having its opposite end resting within the recess 12, carried by the member I, are the links l2, and it is understood that there is to be a recess for each iat surface on each member and a blade for each tlat surface. The said links are connected to the member K by a screw-threaded bolt K, but is allowed to turn freely thereon, and the opposite ends of the links rest within the recesses in the member I, and passing through the shank of the blades and screw-threaded therein are bolts L, which have their inner ends Z passing through the ends of the links, and thus you will see that by the moving in or out of the piston H the block K is moved and the link I will cause a partial rotation of the blades, and thus it will be seen that the vessel will have a backward instead of a forward movement. In order to prevent the twisting and turning of the block K under the great strain it is pnt under, I provide the member I with the outwardly-extending bolts Z, which pass freely through the member K, but are ot' a length to be whollywithin the block K at all times, and thus it is irmly'held against twisting or any lateral strain.

The member I has an opening K2 in its outer face, and fitting within ksaid opening is an outwardly-extending collapsible packing T, which surrounds the piston-rod I-I and is secured to the block K. W'hen the piston is drawn in and the block K is brought against the member I, the packing is within the opening K2. Y

The cylinder A is provided with steam-sup` ply rings N adjacent each end, and these rings rest in annular grooves. These rings N consist of circular members completely surrounding the cylinder and rotatably mounted thereon and having an inner annular packing-groove n, which is adapted to receive the packing n', and having an annular steam-chamber n2. The cylinder opposite said chamber n2 is provided with openings n2, whereby steam is admitted to the cylinder and the piston is caused to move therein. It is understood that there is one of these rings at each end, and said rings are held stationary in any desired manner while the cylinder is rotating.,tl1us causing the rotation of the propeller when rotated by the engine. Each of said steam-rings N is provided with an opening N3, and passing within said opening is the steam-supply pipe N2, and carried by said pipe is a washer N5, which bears against the outside of said ring and the eX- treme outer end of the reduced portion N4, which is screw-threaded and a nut N6 screwed thereon, whereby the pipe is tirmly secured to the ring. The said pipe N2 extends laterally from the said ring and is then bent at right angles to said laterally-extending portion and is provided with an elongated portion 1, extending parallel with the cylinder,and is connected to the boiler orthe source of steamsupply in any desired manner. The outer end of said laterally-extending member N2 is provided with a valve 2 and intermediate -said valve and ring is an exhaust-pipe 3,

which extends at right angles to said pipe N2 and carries avalve s adjacent thereto. The valve 2 carries an outwardly-extending rigid member 5, to whichis pivoted the lever 6, and connected intermediate the ends of said lever is the valve-stem 7 of the valve. Connected to the rear end of the valve 2 is an arm 8, which is connected to the lever 6 by a coil-spring 9, the tendency of said spring being to draw the lever inward,and thus force the valve-stem in and normally close the valve and prevent the steam from passing into the ring. The valve 4 is constructed in precisely the same manner as the valve 2; but the spring 9' forces the lever outward, and thus the normal position is open. The pipes N2 and 3 carry the frame 10, to which are rotatably mounted the pulleys 11 and 12, and the outer end of the exhaust-valve lever 6 also carries a pulley 13.

A rope or cable 14, extending from anydesired point of the vessel, extends over the pulley l2 and around the pulley 13 and up Ico IIO

over the pulley 12 and is made fast to the outer end of the valve supply-lever 6, and it Will be readily seen that by pulling the rope or cable 14 the valve 2 is opened and steam passes into the ring and at the same time the valve 4 is closed, and thus steam is admitted to the rear end of the cylinder.

Connected to the pipe 1 is a pipe l5, which extends to the steam-ring N at the opposite end of the cylinder. Said pipe also has a valve, and the laterally-extending exhaustpipe 16 belowis provided with a valve. The valves and mechanism are arranged in precisely the same manner as before described. It will be clearly seen that the normal position of the valves when both cables are released is such that steam is not admitted to either end of the cylinder and the exhaustvalves are open; but by pulling one cable the steam is admitted to the one end and by pullf ing the other cable steam is admitted to the opposite end. Thus it will be clearly seen that the piston is forced from one end of the cylinder to the opposite end, and-the pistonrod carried thereby moves the propellerblades and causes them to partially rotate, as heretofore described.

In order to lock the propeller in the desired position, so that the Vessel is either going forward or backward and not to rely wholly upon the steam-pressure for the same, I provide a central member O, completely surrounding the cylinder, and carried by said central member is a key O', which passes through the elongated slots o in opposite sides of the cylinder and through the central piston E and the piston-rod H. The said member O, it will be clearly seen, slides on the cylinder, and as the piston-rod is moved it is in turn moved through the key O'. Rigidly connected tothe ends of the cylinder, just inside of the steam-rings N, are the outwardly-extending circumferential anges 02, and carriedby said flanges are longitudinally-extending guiding-bolts P, which pass through the central movable member O and carry coil-springs p on each side thereof, which normally hold said central member centrally ,between the flanges O2.v The outer ends of said central member are provided with lugs Q, which are arranged in pairs, and the inner ends of the flanges O2 are also provided with thelugs Q, and pivoted between said lugs and the lugs Q on the central member are toggle connections R, and the lugs Q carryaspringr, which normally rests upon the toggle connection and holds it down or has a tendency to hold said connection in a downward position beyond the center.- It will be clearly seen that after the center pivotal point has passed the center it cannot be released by any Apressure due to the forcing together of the two members to which said toggle is connected.

In order to force said toggle upward after it has passed the center, I provide what I term as unlockers S, which rest upon the cylinder and have a beveled .portion s, and said unlockers are adapted to slide within the openings o in the members O and O2, and

. carried by the inner end of said unlockers are keys s, which pass through the cylinder and into the piston, and thus it will be seen' that when the device is in the position shown in Fig. 1 when pressure is admitted to the forward end of the cylinder the piston moves, and thus moves the keys s, -which in turn move the unlockers, and the beveled portion engages the hinge or toggle connection and forces it upward past the center, and as the piston is continued to be moved the key O' moves the member O outward, and thus brings the toggles carried by the opposite end in a downward position and is held inV said position until steam is admitted to the opposite end of the cylinder, and the operation is the same,and th us the propeller-blades are locked in either of the two positions, so that the vessel will travel either forward or backward.

The operation of my device is as follows: When the blades and they mechanism are in the position shown in Fig. 1, the vessel is traveling forward through the rotation-of the whole mechanism, which is operated by an engine, and when it is desired to reverse the movement of the vessel steam is admitted to the opposite end of the cylinder,which moves the piston, and the piston in turn moves the unlockers underthe toggle-joints which raises them. As the piston continues `to travel the blades are thrown in a different angle, as heretofore described, and the toggles are drawn downward and locked ina manner before described, and the movement of the vessel is reversed. When it is desired to stop the vessel, the engine itself is stopped.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, isy i 1. A mechanism of the character described, comprising a propeller composed of adjust- IOO IIO

able blades, a rotatable cylinder carrying said propeller, a piston within said cylinder-and a mechanism operated by said piston for adjustin g said blades,substantially as described.

2. A mechanism ofthe character described, comprising a propeller composed of `adjustable blades, a rotatable cylinder carrying said propeller, a piston within said cylinder, a piston-rod carried by said piston and means carried b y said piston-rod for adjusting said blades, substantially as described.

3. A mechanism of the character described, comprising a propeller composed of. adjustable blades, a rotatable cylinder carrying said propeller, a piston within said cylinder, a piston-rod carried by said piston, and a'pivoted connection between said piston-rod and said blades, substantially as described. Y f

4. A mechanism ofthe character described, comprising a propeller composed of adjustable blades, a rotatable cylinder carrying said ton-rod carried by said piston and links connecting the outer end of said piston-rod and the adjustable blades, substantially as described.

5. A mechanism ofthe character described, comprising a propeller composed of adjustable blades, a rotatable cylinder carrying said propeller, a piston-within said cylinder, a piston-rod carried by said piston, links connecting theouter end of said piston-rod to the adjustable blades, and a mechanism for holding said piston in either end ofthe cylinder, substantially as described.

6. A mechanism of the character described comprising a propeller, composed of adjustable blades, a rotatable cylinder carrying said propeller, a piston within said cylinder, a piston-rod carried by the piston, and links having one end connected to the said piston-rod and their opposite ends pivoted to the blades, substantially as described.

7. A mechanism of the character described, comprising a rotating cylinder, outwardly-extending members carried by said cylinder and rotating therewith, laterally-extending studs carried by said member, propellerblades loosely mounted on said studs, a piston within said cylinder, a piston-rod carried by said piston, a block carried by the outer end of said piston-rod, and links pivoted to said block and the adjustable blades, substantially as described. j

8. VA device of the character described, comprising a rotatable cylinder, an outwardly-extending membercarried therewitlnoutwardlyextending studs carried by said member, blades adapted to be adjusted on said studs, the said member, having cut-away portions adjacent the shank ot the blades, a pistonwithin the cylinder, a piston-rod carried by said piston, a block carried bysaid piston-rod, and links pivoted to said block and resting within the recess in the member, and pivoted to the adjustable blades, substantially as described.

9. Adevice of the character described comprising a rotating cylinder, a propeller-wheel carried therewith, and composed of adjustable blades, a piston within the cylinder, a piston-rod carried by the piston, means operated by the piston-rod for adjusting said blades, and means for locking the piston at either end of the cylinder, substantially as l1. A device of the character described comprising a rotating cylinder, a propeller carried therewith and composed of adj ustable blades, a piston within the cylinder, a pistonrod carried by the piston, means carried by the piston-rod for adjusting the blades, an outwardly-extending member carried by the piston and extending through the cylinder, a toggle connection between said member and a stationary member carried by the cylinder, and a mechanism operated by the piston for throwing said togglev off oi' the center, sub stantially as described.

12. A device of the character described comprising a rotating cylinder, a propeller carried therewith and composed of adjustable blades, a piston within the cylinder, a pistonrod carried by said piston, means carried by the piston-rod for adjusting said blades, an outwardly-extending member carried by 'the piston, and extending through a slot in the cylinder, a toggle connection between said member and a stationary member carried by the cylinder, a key adapted to slide under said toggle connection and the cylinder, and means operated by the cylinder and the toglejle, substantially as described.

13. A device of the character described comprising a rotating cylinder, a propeller carried therewith and composed of adjustable blades, a piston within the cylinder, a pistonrod carried by the piston, means operated by the piston-rod for adjusting said blades, a mechanism operated by the piston for locking said piston and means operated by the piston for releasing said locking mechanism, substantially as described.

14. A device of the character described comprising a rotating cylinder, a propeller carried therewith and composed of adjustable blades, a piston within the cylinder, a pistonrod carried by the piston, means carried by the piston-rod for adjusting said blades, a movable member surrounding the cylinder, means carried by the piston for operating said member, and means operated by said member for locking said piston, substantially as described.

15. A device of the character described comprising a rotating cylinder, a propeller carried therewith and composed of adjustable blades, a piston within the cylinder, a pistonrod carried by the piston, means carried by the piston for operating the blades, a movable member surrounding the central portion of the cylinder, a key extending through the cylinder and piston and moving said movable member, stationary members carried by the ends of the cylinder, toggle connections between said stationary members and movable member, and means operated by the piston for releasing said toggle connections, substantially as described.

16. A device of the character described, comprising a rotary cylinder, a propeller carried therewith and composed of adjustable IOC IIO

IZO

blades, a piston Awithin the cylinder, a pistonrod carried by the piston, means operated by the piston for adjusting said blades, stationary steam-supply rings surrounding the cylinder adjacentits ends, andacombined steam andexhaust pipe connected with said rings, substantially as described.

17. A device ot' the character described comprising a rotary cylinder, a propeller carried therewith and composed ot adjustable blades, a piston withinthe cylinder, a pistonrod carried by the piston, means operated by the piston-rod for adjusting the blades, a key passing through an elongated slot in the cylinder and a slot in the piston, toggle connections connected to said key and having opposite ends connected to the ends of the cylinder, outwardly-extending keys carried by the piston and having beveled outwardlyextending members, whereby the respective toggle is forced outwardly, substantially as described.

1S. A device of the character described, comprising al rotating cylinder, a propeller carried therewith,and com posed of adjustable blades, a piston within the cylinder, a pistonrod carried by the piston, means operated by the piston-rod for adjusting said blades, the said piston consisting of the parts, the two ends connected by bolts and a movable central portion slidable on said bolts, a movable member surrounding the central portion of said cylinder, a key carried by said member and passing through elongated slots in the cylinder and through the central movable portion of the piston, toggle connections carried by the outer sides of said movable member, the outer ends of said toggles connected to the ends of thecylinder, keys carried by the inner endsof the end sections of said piston and extending out through the elongated slots in the cylinder, and beveled membersv carried thereby and adapted to force the said toggle connections outwardly when the piston is moved, substantially as described.

19. A mechanism of the character described, comprising a propeller composed of adjustable blades, a rotatable cylinder carrying said propeller, asteam-operated piston Within said cylinder and means operated by said piston foradjusting said blades,lsubstantially as described. y

20. A mechanism ofthe characterdescribed comprising a rotating cylinder, an outwardlyextending member carried by said cylinder and rotating therewith, laterally-extending adjustable blades carried by said member,

2l. A mechanism of the character described,

comprisinga rotating cylinder, a piston therein, an outwardly-extending member carried by said cylinder,laterally-extending studs carried by said. member, propeller-blades loosely' mounted thereon, outwardly-extending studs carried by the end of-said member, a block slidable on said studs, links connecting said block and blades, and a piston-rod connecting said block and piston, substantially as described.

22. A device of the character described', comprising a rotating cylinder, a propeller carried therewith and composed of adjustable blades, a piston within the cylinder, a piston-rod carried by the piston, means carried by the Vpiston-rod for adjusting said blade, and toggle connections between said piston and a stationary member carried by the cylinder, substantially as described.

y23. A device ot' the `character described, comprising a rotating cylinder, a propeller carried therewith, and composed ot adjustable blades, a piston within the cylinder, a piston-rod carried by the piston, means carried by the piston-rod for adjusting said blades, a toggle connection between said piston `and a stationary member carried by the cylinder, and means operated by the piston for throwing said toggle otf the center, substantially as described.

24E. A device of the character described, comprising arotating cylinder, a propeller carried therewith and composed ot' adjustable blades, a piston within the cylinder, a piston-rod carried by the piston, meanscarried by the piston-rod for adjusting said blades, a movable member surrounding the cylinder, means carried by the piston-rod for roo operating said member, means operated by comprising a propeller composed of adjustj able blades, arotatable cylinder carrying said propeller, a piston within said cylinder, a mechanism operated by said piston for adjusting said blades, means operated by the piston for locking said blades in the adjusted position, substantially as described.

26. A mechanism ofthe character described, comprising a propeller composed of adjustable blades, a rotatable cylinder carrying said propeller, a pistou within said cylinder, a mechanism operated by said piston for adjusting said blades, means operated by the piston for locking said blades in said adj usted position and means operated by the piston for unlocking said locking means, substantially as described. j

27. A mechanism of the character described, comprising a propeller composed of adjustable blades, a cylinder carrying said propeller, a piston Within said cylinder, and means operated by the piston for adjusting said blades, substantially as described.

28. A mechanism ofthe character described, comprising a propeller composed of adjustable blades, a rotatable cylinder carrying said IIO propeller and having steam-inlets adjacent each end, stationary steam-supply rings surrounding said cylinder and covering said snpply-inlets, a piston within the cylinder, and means operated by the piston for adjusting said blades, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE L. MCGALLUM.

Witnesses:

EDWARD JIEKINS, HERMAN H. NORTH. 

